Seven ages of man in the city

PLANNING is underway on a major summer festival celebrating Manchester's historic past. Thousands of people are expected to attend the first ever 7 Ages of Manchester Festival being held over two-days in Exchange Square this June.

PLANNING is underway on a major summer festival celebrating Manchester's historic past.

Thousands of people are expected to attend the first ever Seven Ages of Manchester Festival being held over two days this June in Exchange Square.

The city's civic society is behind the event which will feature actors, musicians, crafts-people and cooks bringing to life seven different eras.

A Roman legion will set up camp to demonstrate the lives, food and fighting capabilities of the great empire's soldiers. Manchester Museum will also be co-ordinating tours, taking in the city's Roman legacy in the Castlefield area.

Staff from Bramall Hall in Stockport will be showing the Tudor period's building techniques and beauty practices. Primary schoolchildren will be performing dances popular in the 16th Century.

Manchester's part in the Civil War will be represented by the Sealed Knot re-enactment regiment. The musket-carrying soldiers will explain how the first siege of the war was in Manchester when Royalist forces in 1642 tried to take the Parliamentarian city.

The Museum of Science and Industry is staging the play Mr and Mrs Chadwick Take the Train as a tribute to the Industrial Revolution. The People's History Museum and the Imperial War Museum North will be collaborating to reflect the changing times of the '40s and '50s.

The BBC GMR bus will be showcasing the creative and multicultural face of present day Manchester, with URBIS predicting what the future has in store by putting the spotlight on technology.

Civic Society chairman Richard Harvey said: "Hopefully we can make citizens more aware of their heritage. The Civic Society is not just about preserving old buildings, but understanding the contribution of the past and how to build a better Manchester.

"We want to galvanise people into action and contribute to debates on planning. We need a policy on tall buildings."

The festival runs on June 17 and 18. Anyone interested in volunteering or sponsoring the event should call 0870 742 5959 or visit www.7agesofmanchester.org